


The Nails

by Kappakay



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Creation, Femslash, Gen, Sisters, Supernatural Reverse Big Bang Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-23
Updated: 2014-01-23
Packaged: 2018-01-09 18:06:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1149161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kappakay/pseuds/Kappakay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life was not born from consistency. It required, through trial and error, for some changes to be made, and some sacrifices to be experienced. Change was never easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Nails

**Author's Note:**

> I have taken a lot of liberty with both archangel mythology and canon!supernatural mythology to create my own headcanons. If certain things do not align exactly with what's going on in either one of these texts, then it was intentional.
> 
> Might severely tweak this on a later date. For now I'm just posting it- happy to get feedback always~ Let me know what I can fix (or if it's beyond saving let me know that too)

Short summary: Life was not born from consistency. It required, through trial and error, for some changes to be made, and some sacrifices to be experienced. Change was never easy.

Everything, from the land underfoot, to the clouds above, was created out of a random catastrophic event. Or at least, what the scholars have perceived as being random. What if one were to learn that it was in fact a byproduct of a sibling fight? One that got so out of hand that everything, below and above them, started to boil and burn? 

Well they would scoff no doubt. For scholars were men of science, with no room for religious belief. For them, it was much easier to imagine life forming spontaneously free of heavenly intervention than to face the truth. 

 

“And what about me, sister?”

Gabriel ran a hand through her long brown, wavy hair, completely at a loss. Lucifer had her wings out, the fires down below on Earth making her feathers appear dipped in blood. It was a ghastly sight, if all too appropriate. The archangel was seething with rage, her temper only in check due to the slumped form of the eldest sister Michael. If she were standing upright, the full swell of her belly would be exposed and vulnerable. Raphael rubbed a hand over Michael’s back, her gaze piercing up at Lucifer.

“You’re a monster!” She cried, her raven hair plastered across her forehead. Everything was spiraling out of control, the cloud rumbling beneath their feet.

“Why? Because I refuse what our Father think is best? To bow to these lowly creatures that are still in there developmental stage? We're better than them!"

A short gasp sounded, and Michael’s form shivered. Something wasn’t right. Gabriel could feel it with a certainty. It wasn’t just because the tendrils of the archangels bond was pulsing and burning through her heart, but the very air around them shook and vibrated with the rest of the universe.

“Please Lucifer, you’re hurting her!” Raphael shouted, the wind howling and whipping around. 

Lucifer’s golden eyes hardened and she looked away, pacing to the outer boundary of the cloud. With her back turned, Raphael turned her pleading gaze to Gabriel. She knew what the middle archangel wanted- for Gabriel to stand up for their eldest sister- to voice her dissent with Lucifer’s attitude. With Michael incapacitated and Raphael hovering over her, it was up to Gabriel to stop Lucifer.

But how could she? Even though all four of them were close, there had been a fissure developing between them that only grew with time. Raphael had spent the later part of her existence trailing after Michael, almost ignoring her other two siblings and Michael had shown favouritism towards Lucifer. But Gabriel? She had loved them all equally, had assimilated attributes of all her siblings so she could be a better archangel and protector for the world her Father envisioned. That was what they all should have been doing; yet somewhere along the way her three siblings had forgotten their purpose.

And it had all started with Lucifer’s defiance. 

\------

Gabriel was immediately taken aback when she saw her sisters gathered tightly together, their bodies pressed so tightly against each other it looked like they were one creature.

Being the only sentient creatures created thus far, it was not unheard of to have everyone gathered so closely, but lately, Michael and Lucifer had been journeying together further and further away from both Gabriel and Raphael. No explanation was ever given for their differing behaviour and Gabe did not see any reason to pry, so she had left well enough alone.

It did not mean, however, that she didn’t miss her sisters dearly. 

“Hey sisters,” Gabriel greeted cordially with a wave and a smile. Raphael stepped back, her brown eyes shinning like copper coins. Gabriel raised an eyebrow at her, then shifted her attention to her other two sisters.

Michael radiated happiness, her smile pulled to it’s usual soft tilt, her eyes brighter than the stars their Father helped shape up high in the Heavens. Lucifer likewise was on the same plane, one hand on Michael’s shoulder and the other resting peacefully on the other archangel’s stomach. Though Michael and Lucifer were strangely close, they hardly ever portrayed it in such a public manner.

As if emboldened by Michael and Lucifer’s display, Raphael grabbed Gabriel’s hand, her dark skin a sharp contrast to Gabriel’s own. Not saying a word to her sister, Gabriel simply raised her eyebrow higher. “What’s going on guys?"  
Raphael opened her mouth to speak, but Lucifer beat her to the punch. “Remember how we all complained about being the only creatures on Dad’s Earth?”

 _You mean you guys complained._ Gabriel could see their point of course- having only three other sisters and a very absent father could bore the mind easily. That is if one did not consider the potential on the thunderous Earth below. Father had told them he had a plan; a plan that would surely take thousands upon thousands of years to fully form, but a plan none-the-less where each unstable interaction happening beneath the archangel’s feet would someday stabilize and create basic life. They would just have to be patient.

But it seemed Michael and Lucifer had grown tired of waiting. 

Gabriel furrowed her brow, letting go of Raphael’s hand as she glided forward. “What have you done?”

Lucifer’s smile faltered for a second, Michael’s eyes hardened a fraction. “We’ve done what Father was too afraid to accomplish.” Squeezing Michael’s shoulder, Lucifer looked at her sister in a way that was only reserved for her. “We found a loop hole. A way to create life without Father knowing.”

“You mean you actually created something?”

“This isn’t some monster, Gabriel,” Michael spoke up, her voice smooth and authoritative. Just hearing it made Gabriel hunch and back up a step in automatic obedience. “We’ve created actual _life._ ”

The youngest archangel didn’t know what to say. On the one hand, she was very interested in what her sisters had created and how they had done it. On the other, more logical hand, she yearned to run to Father and tell him what they had done. There had to have been reasons why he set up certain rules, why he insisted that the Master Plan was not to be fooled with. Gabriel still believed in Father, even if the others were starting to deviate. 

Catching a quick side-glance at Raphael, Gabriel could see she was alone in feeling this. Three against one was hardly a fair fight, and is she went babbling to Dad then she would have shit to pay. 

_What Father doesn’t know, won’t hurt him right?_

So she smiled and ran a hand through her hair bashfully. “No of course! I didn’t mean for it- I mean- it’s beautiful! Congrats sisters! I can’t wait to see them!”

Though everyone was skeptical of her, the good feeling of the moment swept away all doubts for the time being. Everyone gathered around Michael, her smile contagious and her glow infectious. 

As all good things, the moment did not last.

 

God had called them all into his slice of Heaven, his chosen form of the moment pacing tirelessly across the room. The archangels all sat in a row, their hands folded neatly in front of them, awaiting their Father’s news. 

“Alright children, I think you all know why I called you,” He started, his eyes bright behind his glasses. The sisters all exchanged glances before focusing back at their creator, all silently urging him to continue. “I’ve been noticing you have all been rather lonely, so I ‘ve created something for you all.”

“What is it Father?” Michael asked, her voice calm but everyone could hear the underlying excitement. As fun as it was to have just the four of them, they were times they needed others in their lives. Constantly hanging around the same individuals day in and day out lead to grated nerves and harsh words being tossed around. 

It would have been less catastrophic if the atmosphere below did not react as well. Unfortunately, the archangels were closely associated with the experiment cooking downstairs. Once a temper got out of hand, lightning started flashing and lava started to boil. If they didn’t want to destroy a masterpiece in the makings, they all had to stay calm.

“Well, it’s still a work in progress mind you,” God started, his smile big yet nervous. He walked around his desk and opened a drawer, digging out a small wooden box. All four archangels leaned forward, each one trying to get a better view. Gently, God lifted the lid off the box, and reached a hand inside, producing a clay model of an almost exact replica of the archangels, except there were no wings. 

Gabriel tilted her head. “Sorry Dad, but what is that?”

“That, Gabriel is what I call a human.”

“Human?” Michael repeated slowly, her brow furrowing. “What is it for?”

Moving the box to the side, God put the model on the desk, making the human standing upright so each angel could get a better view. “I’ve heard your complaints about not having someone to foster Michael, so I’ve created a child of sorts for you all to look after.”

Gabriel didn’t think it sounded so bad; after all they had all grown up over the last few thousand years. As much as she loved her oldest sister, Michael was a bit of overbearing mother. Since their Father was always locked in his study, planning out what he was going to do with the Earth, they only had each other, with Michael acting as surrogate mother. 

The idea of an actual specimen created to be the foster child of Michael was a clever concept Gabriel thought. She found a smile working its way onto her face as she leaned forward more. Up close, she could see the scratches of the pick her Father used to carve out certain features of the model, each one made with the devotion and care of an experienced craftsman. 

“Hey the eyes look like mine!” Gabriel said, turning her big brown eyes up to her Father to see him beaming down at her.

“Of course. I fashioned this model using different aspects from each of you.”

“Oh!” Lucifer gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “That’s my nose! And look, it’s Michael’s chin!” Suddenly, she giggled. “After all, who else would have such a large, prominent thing sticking out of her face?”

“What!” Michael squinted, her face inches from the model. For a moment, all of them were bickering back and forth, picking out various characteristics that looked like one of them and then turning it into a sharp insult. Gabriel laughed, enjoying the easy atmosphere around them. 

God chuckled. “Yes, it is my best work yet I think.” 

Suddenly, ice blanketed the room, as the laughter died down a notch. “Your best, Father?” Lucifer asked, her voice cautious. 

“So far, yes.” God said, ignoring the change of atmosphere. “I mean, I might be able to come up with other more interesting multi-celled organisms down the road, but for now, I’m incredibly pleased with myself.”

“And what about after they grow up? Become able to think for themselves, what are we to do with them then?” Gabriel turned to face her sister, her own brow lowering slightly.

“You look to them for guidance of course. I’ve been thinking of giving them something unique, something to really set them out from the other organisms I have planned.”

“And what would that be?” No one missed the cold tone Lucifer spoke to her Father with. Michael whispered her name urgently, but the youngest ignored her. 

“The ability to think for oneself. To act separate from others, and to decide what they want out of life.” God smiled, his gaze focused on the little lump of clay on his desk, the only one oblivious to the change of atmosphere. “I think I’ll call it Free Will.”

“Will we be getting the same thing, Father?” Michael asked tentatively. 

God raised his gaze to look at her evenly. “No. You have a specific purpose in mind that I want you to fulfill, that you shall need to fulfill. I can’t have you straying from it.”

Silence enveloped the room, everyone at a loss for words. Michael hung her head slightly, and Raphael wrapped her hand over Michael’s. LGabriel regarded the clay with a different light. Raphael and Michael were both looking at each other, and talking in hushed tones. 

_We’re to look to them for guidance?_ Gabriel lowered her brow even more, confused. It was hard to picture the model before her as anything but what she could see. If her Father was going to go through and do as he claimed, she couldn’t help but wonder what they could offer the archangels that they hadn’t already given themselves.

Slowly, Gabriel reached out to pluck the clay model off the desk, but her hand was smacked away by God. “Careful. It’s still a prototype.”

Frowning slightly, Gabriel leaned back in her chair, only just noticing that Lucifer was nowhere to be found. 

\-----

“You want to tell me what the hell happened back there?” Michael demanded as she stomped toward the retreating form of her youngest sister. Lucifer said nothing, just marched forward with determination. When Michael caught up with her, Lucifer still didn’t turn, not until Michael clamped down on her shoulder and forcibly turned her. “I asked you a question.”

Gabriel bit her lip, wanting desperately to leap forward and stop them. She could sense something was going to go down for the air was thick with conflict. But who was she to get between them? 

“To which are you referring sister?” Lucifer snarked, her lips twisted in a mockery of a smile. 

“You know perfectly well what,” Michael answered, her form tense. “You know better than to question our Father.”

Lucifer dragged Michael’s hand off her shoulder, her expression darkening. “Why?”

“Because he’s our creator! Our Father! He knows what’s best for us and for the Earth.” Lucifer scoffed and rolled her eyes. Michael set her jaw as she continued. “Look, I don’t like the idea any better than you do, but we will do as he says.”

“And who put him in charge?” Lucifer snapped. Michael’s eyes widened and she took a step back. Gabriel heard Raphael gasp beside her. The only reason Gabriel didn’t do anything was because she was stunned into stone. The cloud beneath her flashed as lightning escaped, followed closely by thunder, the cloud rumbling. “Who decides that was he says is absolute? He does. And we blindly follow him for what purpose? Ever since we’ve been created, we’ve been left alone, while he’s been cooped up with his own thoughts. He’s never been there for us! But we we’re there for each other!”

Their emotions were getting out of control, the atmosphere below them mirroring it in kind. “You’re talking about defying our creator.”

“Maybe it’s about time someone did.”

“Lucifer!” Michael hissed, clutching a hand to her chest as her eyes darted around. “How could you suggest such a thing?” 

“I will not bow to some lump of clay!” Lucifer shouted, her wings flaring out to reveal their full glory. The wind picked up briefly, ruffling her feathers. “God made us in his image, and now he says that the humans are made out of us? Yet they are better than what we are? I cannot accept this!”

Clenching her fist, Michael steeled her gaze, “Stop this now, sister. You’re acting like a child.”

Lucifer frowned at her eldest sister, clenching her own fists. “I’m speaking what we are all thinking. I saw the way you looked at the human model Michael- You were just as disgusted as I was with the idea of something being better than us. Why are you denying it now?”

“Because I am a good daughter.” Michael replied, her voice so cold, Lucifer’s stance wavered slightly before she steadied it. “I will do what he asks of me, because it is right.”

"And what about that being growing inside you? Will you tell Father about that?"

Michael closed her eyes, a hand floating subconsciously to her belly. It had only been a few days, but her stomach had already started to grow out, not enough to be noticed unless one was looking for it which was why Father did not see. 

Realizing that Michael would not respond, Lucifer sighed loudly, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "If you're thinking of giving in already, then you are weak.” Lucifer stated. 

"Father would find out eventually. It's better if I come right out and say it."

"Then we have nothing left to discuss." With that said, she kicked up off the cloud and went down, down to the Earth below. Raphael, Gabriel and Michael all called her name, running to the edge as if to go after her, but Michael collapsed, one of her arms wrapping around her midsection. Immediately, Raphael fell to her side, all concern and worry. 

Gabriel stopped mid-run, looking between the edge and her sister. Raphael waved her away. “Go. Lucifer might listen to you.”

\------

The Earth wasn’t as chaotic today- lightning only flashed once every ten minutes, the lava boiled safely below the Earth’s crust and the solar radiation brought by the sun was at its lowest. The smoke that covered the Earth was thin, and Gabriel was able to spot the glow of Lucifer’s wings on top of her favourite volcano. Angling herself, Gabriel rode a current down to her sibling, landing a few yards behind her.

“If you came here hoping I would apologize, then you’re wrong sister,” Lucifer spoke, keeping her back to Gabriel. 

“Apologize for what?” Gabriel asked, stepping around a crater that exuded too much smoke. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Shouldn’t you be asking Michael that?” Lucifer spat, the venom from before only intensified now. Gabriel flinched- even though she was older than Lucifer, she did not feel it. "I don't understand how Michael could just...Accept that thing."

"Aren't you jumping the shark a bit?" Gabriel asked tentatively. "I mean, they are just lumps of clay now-"

"And yet, Father has already decided that those lumps are better than us! How could he know that unless he purposefully made them that way?"

The ground shook underneath them. "Lucifer, you need to calm down."

"What if when Michael tells him about that child inside her, Father decides to destroy it? That was something we created! He can't just take that away from us." Her feathers shook as Lucifer paced, the ground rumbling ominously. Gabriel shook her own wings, keeping a nervous eye on the earth. Steam rose from a nearby crater and she could hear the lava bubbling underneath. 

"Luci, please," Gabriel said slowly, "Just come back. We can talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about Gabriel. Michael has said more than enough and we both know Raphael doesn't think beyond what sister dearest says." Lucifer turned to Gabriel, her eyes cold. "I thought you were different, but you're just as spineless as Raphael."

Speechless, Gabriel could only watch as her older sister flared out her wings and flew off to skies unknown. Finally lowering her gaze when the density of clouds hid even the brilliant glare of the archangel's wings, Gabriel found herself at odds. Was she truly too afraid to speak up for herself? Perhaps Lucifer was right- after all she couldn't speak her mind when they had first announced that Michael was with child. Was she programmed to follow her eldest sister as Raphael was?

This was too much. Lucifer was making it seem like there were sides to this conflict, but shouldn't there only be one: the one that was right? That God set out before them? 

Sighing to herself, Gabriel stretched her wings and flew back up to join her other sisters.

\----

Weeks passed with no word from Lucifer. The three sisters remained silent on any topic concerning her, and decided instead to focus upon the ever present bump growing on Michael. Raphael was happy to dive in and dedicate all her time to waiting on her eldest sister hand and foot. 

Michael did make do on what she said to Lucifer and told Father about what they had done. As Gabriel had first thought, Father was furious, but his temper quickly was reigned in when Michael promised to not act so reckless again. As such, a deal was struck up between them- depending upon what kind of creature was born, God may create more like it so they would not find themselves struggling with loneliness as the archangels have. 

All should've been peaceful, but Gabriel found herself wondering more and more where Lucifer could have gone. Usually, she could sense where each of her sisters were located through an invisible bond that connected them all, yet the strand that connected Lucifer to them all was silent. The lack of worry that the others displayed only intensified Gabriel's own and she found herself alone often. 

In fact, Raphael seemed gleeful at being the centre of Michael's attention. Gabriel knew there was a certain jealousy between Raphael and Lucifer but she never considered it strong enough to sew the seeds of animosity. Michael showed not caring one way or another, as focused as she was on herself.

Her sisters never noticed, or if they did never comment on Gabriel's constant wanderlust, too rapped up in the impending birth of a new being. The silence that Gabriel assigned to herself however was not helping ease her mind. The worry only grew in the absence of sound, until her mind was as chaotic as the Earth below. 

She couldn't bring her worries to her other sisters- how could she? They were already happy beyond compare. It was not her place to shatter that happiness even if it was fostered from Lucifer's absence.  
The illusion of peace was shattered when a great roar was heard from Father's domain.

All three sisters, two huddled together in affection and one standing on her own as what became the norm turned toward the sound on high alert. A ball of cosmic energy flew at their cloud and crashed, skidding across the top as the energy cooled and revealed the long missing sister. 

Her wings looked scorched, parts of her usual stark white wings blackened and crisped. Her hands were clenched, her face battered and bruised. Gabriel rushed over to her while the other two remained frozen.

"Lucifer! Oh my- what happened?"

Instead of getting an answer from Lucifer, a great booming voice she recognized as her Father did. "Your sister was manipulating my human prototype."

His clenched fist opened before her, revealing the once beautifully sculpted clay. Enocchian symbols were deeply etched into the frame, each one emitting a strange red light that pulsed as if it were a living thing. Despite her knowledge of the language, Gabriel could not read what it said.

Sensing the question on her tongue, Lucifer answered, "It is a spell of my own design." Grimacing, she sat up, the smile on her lips twisted and cruel. This was not the sister Gabriel knew. "One that creates negative desires that mar personal relationships, clouding the truth before their very eyes. In fact there are seven of them, and they are deadly." 

God roared, the blast of sound on the brink of ear shattering. "How dare you mess with my creation. Is this how you show loyalty?"

"Why should I be loyal to an absent Father who does not care what his four greatest creations do with their time?! You expect us to just blindly follow what you have set out before us? To act as shepherds for these creatures until they reach such a point that we become slaves to them? No, I believe the roles should be reversed."

The cloud rolled as thunder rumbled loudly. Raphael stood, helping Michael to her feet as well. Everyone stared in silence as Lucifer struggled to stand, Gabriel acting out of habit offering help, which she refused. 

"If you could see the future that is to come child, you would not be so hasty to judge them so harshly." God warned, his voice low and authoritative. 

"Dad, can't you try to understand Lucifer's point of view?" Gabriel said quietly, her feet trembling in resonance with the cloud. All eyes turned on her, each one in a varying state of shock. In that moment, she wished the cloud would have swallowed her whole. Yet she could not understand why God was willing to overlook Michael's blunder when she defied him just as much as Lucifer. In fact, it's easy to say that what Lucifer has done could be reversed could it not?

These were points she wanted to voice, but the weight of everyone's combined stares silenced her. Hanging her head, Gabriel scuffed her feet, feeling every bit like a young delinquent being scolded. A hand pressed on her shoulder, one that was warm, familiar and sorely missed. 

Taking his eyes off Gabriel, Father turned it back on Lucifer. “I want you to leave. Come back when you are within your right mind.”

“I’m being perfectly reasonable Father. Perhaps it is you who should leave and come back when your mind is set right.” 

All too soon, the warm hand was gone from Gabriel’s shoulder, leaving nothing but cold air. A brief flap of wings and Lucifer was soaring back over the clouds, everyone watching her go, but only one of them looked conflicted. 

 

Lucifer did not show for months, and life fell into a steady pattern for the remaining archangels. Michael and Raphael grew closer, the swell in Michael’s belly growing while Gabriel remained distant and lonely. 

It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy for Michael – in fact, if it were a different time she would be so curious to see what was about to be created – but the times had changed. It wasn’t as carefree and loving as it once was before. Gabriel felt different, like the lightness inside her now bore weight and was sinking deeper and deeper inside her gut. 

Everything was calm- Dad had locked himself back up in his room with the human prototype trying to fix what she had done. Judging from the occasional bellow and crashing, Gabriel could guess that he was not being successful. 

She was sitting on a cloud overlooking Raphael and Michael when she heard the telltale spatial disturbance of an archangel landing. Standing up and turning around, she saw her sister once again, the scorch marks on her wings overtaking the white feathers. 

“Lucifer,” Gabriel breathed, her hands floating in front of her. Her sister looked worse for wear, her long blonde hair tussled wildly, her eyes sparkling with menace. 

“Hello sister. I never did thank you for actually speaking up for me back then.”

“Y-You’re welcome.” Gabriel stammered. Something was off about Lucifer, her usual charming self tainted…

“Although, I can’t help but notice that Michael didn’t do anything.”

Gabriel’s gaze darted down to her sisters below. Michael was having a hard time moving around, so she stayed in the same spot most of the time, using Raphael as her legs. Right now, Raphael was dabbing Michael’s forehead with a wet cloth, and even from Gabriel’s position she could see the beads of water trickling down. 

She had been wondering the very same thing in her solitude- why would Michael be so complacent with the fight that happened? Raphael followed Michael blindly, but the eldest sister had shown that she had ambitions that were beyond Father’s ultimate Plan. Surely she could have at least spoken up… especially if she and Lucifer were as close as they once were. 

“I’m sure she has a good explanation,” Gabriel found herself saying out of loyalty. 

Lucifer shook her head. “She doesn’t and you know it. Michael has turned into a pliant pawn.”

 _I think you are the one who has turned, dear sister._ “Why are you here Luci?”

Lucifer placed her hands behind her back, her fists clenched. “Just to say hello, and to see you.”

“See me?”

“I’ve missed you.”

“You could have come and seen me whenever you wanted,” Gabriel spoke, finding her words spilling out. “Why now?”

Lucifer walked toward Gabriel, the air turning sour. “Do I need a reason to visit my favorite sister?”

“Before? No. After you were basically kicked out of the house by Dad? Yes.”

Lucifer puffed air out of her nose, her lips setting. “Alright fine. I came here to talk. I figured if anyone were to hear me out, it would be you.”

Gabriel said nothing, opting to wait for what Lucifer would do. A beat passed before Lucifer brought out one of her hands from its resting place behind her back. Turning it, and unclenching it, she brought her palm up, unveiling what was clasped therein.

The human prototype.

“I… I thought Dad was still playing with this.”

“He was,” Lucifer replied, her eyes wild. “Except he realized he can’t get rid of what has already been decided. Even he can’t un-create something despite what you may think.”

“So you’re saying what you did to it is permenant?”

“Very much so.”

“Then,” Gabriel started shifting on her feet, “shouldn’t you be done? You already meddled about with Dad’s creation, isn’t that enough?”

“Oh no. I’m not done yet.” She clenched her fist around the figurine again and pulled it toward her chest. Slowly, she turned around, and Gabriel gasped. Lucifer’s entire backside was blackened- not a single white feather remained. 

“Lucifer what happened? What are you going to do?” Gabriel’s voice was soft, but shaking. 

“I’ll show you, dear sister of mine.” One foot in front of the other, a clear path was traced out by Gabriel. 

“No, stop. Don’t do this.” But Lucifer would not listen. One foot in front of the other, the edge came closer. “Sister please.” Gabriel fidgeted with her fingers, the nervous energy inside her bursting. **“Lucifer!”**

Her voice carried and next thing she knew, both Michael and Raphael appeared in a blur of wings. Lucifer spun around, clutching the figurine to her chest once again. Michael looked unsteady on her feet, her form slumped with only Raphael present to keep her steady.

“Sister,” Michael started, her voice still strong, “Give back what you stole. You are not to meddle with Father’s plan again.”

Shaking her head sharply, Lucifer pursed her lips. “Don’t you understand what is going to happen? We’re being disposed of! This thing-“ she thrust out her fist, the figurine clenched tightly between her fingers- “is meant to replace us! Have you seen their coding? What Father has so diligently etched into this thing that he failed to give to us?”

Michael clenched her teeth, her eyes turning feverish. “He told me all I needed to hear. You are not to hurt that figurine anymore.”

The defiant archangel’s eyes flicked to Gabriel, as if to confirm something to herself, then back to Michael. “What if I don’t stand alone?” 

Two more pairs of eyes fell on Gabriel, the weight growing in her stomach. “What is she talking about Gabriel?”

“I- I mean I-“

“Are you siding with her on this matter?” Michael demanded, trying to take a step forward but Raphael stopped her.

“Don’t be shy Gabriel, step up and say what you want.” Lucifer smirked.

“N-No please this isn’t about me-“

“Grab that figurine then Gabriel,” Raphael demanded as she strained against Michael’s weight. Sweat formed on Gabriel’s own brow, her eyes darting back and forth. The cloud below them was feeling unsteady, the weight of it shifting around as if it were liquid. 

Michael slumped down to the ground, Raphael giving a surprised yelp. Lucifer’s eyes bugged for a moment, the grip on the figurine slack. “What have you done!” Raphael screamed at Lucifer. Lights flashed below, thunder rumbled, the wind picked up and whipped about. Raphael righted Micheal so she could rest into her lap. The eldest sister’s face was ghastly pale, her skin dripping. “Whatever you’re doing stop it! You’re hurting her!”

“I haven’t done anything, it’s what is inside of her that is causing this,” Lucifer said lowering her hand.

“You created that too! You did this! You **monster!”**

Gabriel and Lucifer both jumped, the cloud jumping up underneath their feet. It threw Gabriel to the side, and Lucifer off the edge. Quickly, Gabriel dusted herself off and ran to the edge. Lucifer had righted her path in mid flight, angling her body in just the right way but something was off. Gabriel squinted, zooming in on the hand that had the figurine.

It was gone.

Turning around Gabriel was about to announce when Raphael’s look stopped her. “After her,” she said, trying to sound like Michael while the latter’s chest rose faster. Gabriel hesitated, her eyes darting between her two sisters huddled together and the spot where Lucifer fell. 

“What are you waiting for? After her!” No doubt she would have hell to pay when Father discovered what had happened, but despite all that Lucifer had done, Gabriel could not so easily just choose to side against her.

“Look, the way I see it, you’re either with Lucifer or you’re with us. Choose.” _There’s only two options huh?_ Michael’s breathing became more labored; the child was coming she could sense it. Raphael gave her a pointed look, telling her to decide in this moment- this decision could not wait. 

Yet what she asked was impossible. Did she not care for Lucifer at all anymore? She was their sister! Surely that meant something to both her and Michael! Or were they both too blinded by their obedience to Father?

_It’s always going to be like this. No matter which side I choose, they will always pin themselves against the other, always fighting until the other recedes… but they are all so stubborn, no one would ever willingly admit they were in the wrong._

_I can’t be a part of that. I can’t just sit on either side and contribute to my sisters downfall. Family means more than that to me!_

Smiling sadly, Gabriel walked over to the two, and crouched down. Gently, she placed her hand on Michael’s belly, a single tear lingering in her eye. She whispered a name, one that would someday be considered a prayer for those who had lost their was as Gabriel was using it now. “Please take care of yourself.”

Lips brushed against both her sister’s foreheads as Gabriel gave them one last farewell before standing up and launching off the other side of the cloud, not daring to look back.

 

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End file.
